WW II's Bloody Beaches: Buna, Gona

Abstract
The beachhead battles of Gona, Buna and Sanananda formed the final, bloody stage
of the campaign in Papua during 1942–43. Yet the story of these battles is often
overlooked, meaning that their challenges, their tragedy and their significance remain
largely unrealised. From mid-November 1942 exhausted, battle-weary Australian and
inexperienced American troops began a brutal and uncompromising two-month campaign
against the Japanese-held beachheads at Gona, Buna and Sanananda. The Allies' attacks
stalled against desperate Japanese defenders and their labyrinth of bunkers and trenches.
The swamps and jungles of the Papuan coast compounded the already difficult task facing
the Allies. In these conditions, conventional tactics and fire support were rendered
ineffective, forcing commanders to adapt operations on the ground. These tactical issues
were further complicated by a persistent 'pressure from above' from General Douglas
MacArthur, commander of Allied forces in the South West Pacific Area, with his
exhortations for a quick victory, no matter the cost. This presented commanders at all
levels with a series of tactical problems unlike any that they had previously encountered,
to which there was no easy solution. The three main factors – the terrain, the mentality of
the Japanese defenders and MacArthur's constant pressure – greatly influenced the tactical
approaches and application of resources during the campaign, forcing a regression in
some aspects and innovation in others. This paper seeks to examine the factors at work
and their influence on the tactics involved and the experiences of those who fought.